I lift 3 days a week and do cardio 3 days a week. My goal is always to take in more protein at the reduction of carbohydrates and bad fats. I try to have a shake within half an hour of my lifting program. Sometimes I’ll have one before and one after (in about a 3 hour span of time).

It’s been a great way for me to curb my appetite and sweet tooth. I mix mine with milk though I’ve had it with water as well. I’m usually too lazy to break out the blender so I just stir mine well until most of the lumps are gone.

Some good responses above. If you’re primarily trying to gain muscle mass the conventional wisdom is you should shoot for 1g protein/pound of bodyweight/day. For most people, 2-3 shakes a day can really help in this effort. Some obsessive types insist on sipping protein shakes during their workouts, but if you pound some before and after the you should be fine.

Two final thoughts: I prefer a whey/casein blend—it absorbs slower, so you don’t feel hungry so soon after. Finally, make sure you’re using the shakes as a supplement—powder’s great, but it can’t take the place of solid high quality protein sources.

I use the mix to gain muscle and lose fat. should i still use the same amount as you said Andrew?

It’s hard to do those two things at once, but if you’re going hypocaloric (ie, taking in fewer calories than you burn) to lose fat, protein powder can help you hang onto lean tissue in the process. The main dietary variable when going for fat-loss vs. muscle gain—and some may dispute me on this—should be carb intake. Protein should hold fast around at least 1g/lb of bodyweight—you might even have to raise it a little. So, in a nutshell, yes, stay on the protein shakes while losing fat. Pre-and-postworkout nutrition is no time to skimp. Good luck and let us know how you do! —A